This invention relates to a method and device for electronic scanning of control-fields of a control member on cylinder and straight bar knitting machines.
Instead of the generally known purely mechanical needle selector mechanisms for multi-system circular knitting machines as well as for straight bar knitting machines, recently various proposals have become known for electromagnetically or piezoelectrically acting needle selection mechanisms which act directly upon the needles themselves or upon pushrods in a conventional arrangement. These cannot however in most cases function because the distance of travel and the resistance of such conventional parts are too great.
The real obstacle which stands in the way of good functioning was in the case of many proposals to be attributed to this fact. Even the designers of successful new devices likewise keep adhering to tradition, in that they hitherto without exception further developed applied needle-pushrods with a special cam track. Thus there have resulted long pushrods and long needle travel distances, and thereby also long cylinders and in the case of straight bar knitting machines very wide needle beds. Also very complicated selection processes and also corresponding also parts for changing the sliders in and out in the pushrod cam have been employed, which through the long cylinder and the complicated auxiliary parts required per needle caused considerable increases in cost.